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Paul Nash

  • Karma: +0/-0
Beau Desert - May 2011
« on: May 29, 2011, 06:03:40 AM »
I have wanted to play the course for the past few years after seeing Sean's posts and it being recommended by several other people. It did not disappoint and goes straight into my top-10 favourites. It is a more spectacular setting than 99.5% of other inland courses and I believe it stands up well to the best of the London heathlands - I still prefer Hankley but would certainly rate it as good or better than courses including St George's Hill, The Berkshire, Swinley Forest, Woking etc. The course could be even better if they chopped back some more trees - especially 7, a potentially great par 3 spoilt by a wall of trees up the left that are so intrusive that you can't see the left greenside bunker. The bunkers on the clubhouse side of 18 and the ones on the left of 12 are awful. I also found 12 too difficult as I couldn't see how you could put yourself in the correct position off the tee, because it does not really exist - it is a double dogleg, a bit like the reverse of 12 at Swinley, but a crop of trees about 80 yards short of the green means that you are unlikely to have a view of the green, or not all of it, even from the right edge of the fairway which is a virtually unobtainable position from the tee. Other than that, the rest is awesome! We played on a lovely day but it was very windy - even without the wind, this is one seriously tough golf course for its length - there is all sorts of trouble on and just off the greens. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

1 - A tough start into a gale




2 - Yellow tee - white is much nicer

2 - White tee


2 Fairway and green








3


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6






7





8 - forgot to get tee shot - but trees a little too tight on left - a draw is best





9 - A great short par 4







More to follow - as long as this first picture-post works!

Martin Toal

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2011, 07:23:10 AM »
Paul

Looks good. Golf Monthly event?

Paul Nash

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2011, 10:56:00 AM »
Hi Martin - yes - and the course beat everyone up!

MikeJones

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2011, 01:55:46 PM »
This one of my all time fav golf courses. Even though I was based in the North West of England I always requested Beau Desert for the Open pre qualifying whenever it was on the rota.

The emphasis was always on accuracy and if the course has a weakness it's that for a moderately long player you can just leave all your woods in the bag and I'm talking pre pro v1 distances.
There is really no reason to get out a 'wooden' club as many of the holes are dog leg par 4's and you just bring a whole lot of trouble into play by trying to launch the ball off the tee. Luckily many people look at sub 400 yards par 4's and think that they must blast it as close to the green as they can. This course along with another similar style course 'Lindrick' really doesn't respond to that sort of strategy.

Paul Nash

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2011, 07:44:44 AM »
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This is a must-play course. Go enjoy!

MikeJones

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2011, 03:52:18 AM »
Thanks once again for the photos Paul, truly one of England's best inland courses.

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2011, 06:22:59 AM »
Paul

Looks like you had some fine weather.  Beau is a tough course to photograph, but you have some nice shots.  In general, I agree, Beau could use more tree clearance and much of that would be to open up interior views.  I also think they need to work on their bunkers.  However, and this is rare for me, I like the trees on #12.  The double dogleg effect is marvelous and tough to play right.  I can understand after just one go how one would be frustrated, but the options on such an obscured tee shot are most unusual.  So long as the trees short of the green at kept fairly trimmed I like this hole a load.

Ciao 
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2011, 12:35:49 PM »
Does anyone have photos of the course in its early days? How many of those trees have been planted comparatively recently?

Clyde Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2011, 07:52:32 AM »
Does anyone have photos of the course in its early days? How many of those trees have been planted comparatively recently?

Mark,

I had a discussion with the Pro about this - I had found it hard to believe the trees on the double-dog-leg 12th were ever envisaged by Fowler. Apparently the pines are self-seeding, although i believe those around the outside of the course were originally planted as a visual barrier, with no intention to influence the playing corridors. The club are periodically clearing some of the trees, but with the usual murmurings of complaint from the members.

As for the photos, a member at the club, who has recently passed away, had been taking photographic documentation of the course from the past 50 years or so - Before the trees, you could even see the clubhouse from the 18th medal tee.

John Mayhugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Beau Desert - May 2011
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2011, 08:15:25 AM »
Some nice photos. 

Good point about the trees on 7.  They pretty much force a conservative tee shot, and I think some more temptation on that hole would be good.